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Close Call Sports objectively tracks and analyzes close and controversial calls in sport, with great regard for the rules and spirit of the game. Developed from The Left Field Corner's MLB Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (UEFL), baseball's number one source for umpire ejections, video instant replay reviews and their corresponding calls, with great regard for the rules and spirit of the game.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Batter Dietrich Hit by Pitch in Strike Zone Ruling

After Max Muncy admitted to embellishing his injury ("soccer style") in Los Angeles, we cautioned umpires about blind trust. Reds batter Derek Dietrich took a hit-by-pitch on a pitched ball thrown within the strike zone in Miami during Cincinnati's Monday night clash against the Marlins.

This Ask the UEFL play comes from a reader who asks what the HBP options are when a batter is touched by a pitched ball within the strike zone or a batter who fails to avoid being touched by a pitch. In either case, the lesson is not to assume the batter is always a credible witness.

What happens when the HBP is in the zone?

The Play: With two out and one on (R2) in the top of the 2nd inning of Monday's Reds-Marlins game, Reds batter Derek Dietrich took a 2-2 fastball from Marlins pitcher Pablo Lopez for a hit-by-pitch, and was awarded first base by HP Umpire Hunter Wendelstedt.

The Hitch: Replays indicate the pitch was located over the inner half of home plate and below the midpoint (px 0.49, pz 3.02 [sz_top 3.4]), which would indicate the pitch was located within the strike zone (pursuant to the Kulpa Rule, this is a strike by approximately five horizontal inches and, per the Miller Rule, by about three vertical inches).

How about a batter w/ no attempt to avoid?

The Rule: Official Baseball Rule 5.12(b)(2) specifies the standard hit-by-pitch criteria under which a batter is entitled to first base without liability to be put out: "He is touched by a pitched ball which he is not attempting to hit unless (A) The ball is in the strike zone when it touches the batter, or (B) The batter makes no attempt to avoid being touched by the ball."

SIDEBAR: The rule has nothing to do with a batter who "leans in" and touches a pitched ball. Leaning into a pitch to draw a HBP call falls under an extreme case of scenario (B): making no attempt to avoid being touched by the ball.

Outcomes: If the pitch was located in the strike zone, it is a dead ball strike [+1 strike].If the batter makes no attempt to avoid a pitch out of the zone, it is a dead ball, ball [+1 ball].

Did Dietrich try to avoid the pitched ball?

For the Dietrich play, which begins with a 2-2 count, if the umpire judges that the pitch is located in the strike zone, whether or not Dietrich attempted to avoid being touched by it, the proper call is "Time" and adding a strike to the count (in this case, it would be strike three and the batter would be out).

If the umpire deems the pitch is outside of the strike zone and Dietrich made no attempt to avoid being touched (potentially including a determination that he intentionally leaned into the pitched ball), the proper call is "Time" and adding a ball to the count (in this case, ball three).

If the umpire deems the pitch was outside of the strike zone and Dietrich did make an attempt, however slight, to avoid being touched, the proper call is "Time" and awarding the batter first base.